HaloUtils

YOUR EVERYDAY COMMAND REFERENCE

Start with a slash.
Make it your own.

All the commands included with HaloUtils, plus a guide to creating shortcuts for your own pages and instances.

One key opens the list.

On a configured Halo page, press / outside a text field. The palette initially shows every available command, with built-in and configured commands separated. Type to filter, use ↑ and ↓ to select a result, and press Enter to run it. Tab completes a command name where possible; Esc closes the palette. By default, a number such as /12345 also looks for a ticket, user, and agent with that exact ID, and a name such as /wentker searches agents and users. Commands that change the page open in a new tab; use /c to stay on the current page.

THE REFERENCE INSIDE HALO

Try /info.

Open a searchable, alphabetized command reference with descriptions, aliases, usage, and destinations. It includes your configured commands, too. Choose Copy Markdown or Copy plain text to copy the complete list.

The commands below are included out of the box. An alias is another name for the same command: /wf and /workflow, for example, both run /flow. Page destinations resolve on your current Halo instance.

Built-in page tools

Open HaloUtils settings, inspect the current page, change language, or work with impersonation. Halo page tools use your existing session and permissions.

Command & aliasesWhat it does & usage
/switchAlso: /switch profileOn an agent profile, open the matching user profile; on a user profile, open the matching agent profile. Matches use the user’s linked agent ID first, then the e-mail address, and several matches are listed for you to choose from. Works on agent and user profile pages only.
/infoOpen the searchable, alphabetized command reference, with built-in and configured commands separated. Copy the complete reference as Markdown or plain text.
/settingsOpen HaloUtils settings in a new browser tab to manage commands, instances, import and export, page behavior, field details, the command window, and update notices. Settings has its own search field.
/jsonInspect the current supported record’s API JSON in searchable Tree or Raw view. Open a record first, then run /json.
/impStart impersonation with /imp agent <id or name> or /imp user <id or name>. Use an ID directly or search by name and choose a result.
/impaImpersonate an agent using /impa <id or name>, for example /impa 17.
/impuImpersonate a user using /impu <id or name>, for example /impu 23.
/unimpStop impersonation and return to your own session.
/langRun /lang to choose a language, or /lang <language code> to set it directly, for example /lang de.
/anShow or hide API field names beside fields on the current page.
/avShow or hide API field values beside fields on the current page.
/anvShow both API names and values if either is hidden; hide both when both are visible.
/guidAlias: /guidsShow or hide element GUIDs beside fields on the current page.

Records, names & tabs

Numeric lookup is enabled by default in Settings → Slash Command Window. Typing /<ID> checks that exact ID on the current Halo instance as a ticket, user, and agent, then lists the matches. Press Enter to open a single match directly, or choose from multiple matches. Leading zeros are ignored. Turn the setting off to make /<ID> open the ticket directly as in earlier versions. Use a named command below whenever you know the record type.

To find an account by name, type /agents <name> or /users <name>, or simply /<name> when the text matches no command. Matches are listed for you to choose from, and a single match opens on Enter. If commands match part of what you typed, the palette adds a Search agents and users option instead, and an exact command name always runs that command. Lookups also work on portal pages; if HaloUtils has not yet seen your agent app session, it briefly loads the agent app in a hidden frame to obtain one, and asks you to sign in if you are not signed in. See the privacy notice.

CommandWhat it does
/<ID>Search for a ticket, user, and agent with this exact ID when numeric lookup is on; for example, /12345. With lookup off, open ticket 12345 directly.
/<name>Search agents and users by name when the text fits no command, for example /wentker, and open the account you choose.
/ticket <ID>Also: /tickets <ID>Open a ticket directly without looking up users or agents. For example, /ticket 12345 opens /tickets?id=12345.
/agent <ID or name>Also: /agents <ID or name>Open an agent's account page directly with an ID, for example /agent 47, or search agents by name, for example /agents wentker.
/user <ID or name>Also: /users <ID or name>Open a user's account page directly with an ID, for example /user 332, or search users by name, for example /users jane.
/tAlias: /tabDuplicate the current tab. Add a navigation command to force its destination to open in a new tab: /t config, /tab flow, or /t 12345. Arguments work too, for example /t docs password reset with the custom command below.
/cAlias: /currentAdd a navigation command to force its destination to open in the current tab: /c config, /current flow, or /c 12345.

Where commands open

Commands that change the page open in a new tab by default, so the page you are on stays open. To replace the current page instead, turn on Settings → Slash Command Window → Open commands in the current tab. The /t and /c prefixes override that choice for a single command. /logout and /reauth use the current tab unless you add /t, and impersonation always uses the current tab.

Create your own commands

Custom page commands open a URL you choose. Use a path on the current Halo instance or an absolute HTTP/HTTPS URL for another site.

  1. Open the HaloUtils options page.Run /settings on a configured Halo page, or find HaloUtils in your browser’s extensions menu and open its options or settings.
  2. Expand Slash Commands.Under Custom, select Add command. You can also add a first command during the first-run setup.
  3. Fill in the shortcut.Set its Command, Destination, optional Alternatives, and a short Hint. The example below opens a documentation search.
  4. Select Save Settings.Return to a configured Halo page, press /, and run your new command. It appears under configured commands in the palette and in /info.

EXAMPLE / A DOCUMENTATION SHORTCUT

Command
docs
Destination
https://docs.example.com/search?q={arg}
Alternatives
doc, helpdocs
Hint
Search our team documentation

Replace docs.example.com and its search path with your documentation site’s URL. Running /docs password reset passes password reset to the search, encoded as password%20reset. Either alternative works the same way.

Choosing names and aliases

Enter names such as docs or team-tools. Names are normalized to lowercase and use letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. Use unique names and alternatives; avoid built-in command names and their aliases. Purely numeric commands are reserved for record IDs.

Enter an alternative in the Alternatives field and press Enter, Tab, or a comma to add it. The Read-only page commands keep their original names and destinations, but you can add your own alternatives to them. Existing built-in aliases remain available.

For a shortcut that stays on your current tenant, use a relative destination such as /config/agents/agents. For a fixed destination on another site, use a complete URL such as https://docs.example.com/.

Arguments & URL placeholders

Everything after the command name is its argument. In /docs password reset, the argument is password reset. Add a placeholder to the destination to insert that argument or information about the current Halo page.

PlaceholderReplacement
{arg} or $0The complete argument, URL-encoded. Use this for a query parameter such as ?q={arg}.
{argRaw}The argument without encoding. Use it when the argument is deliberately part of the URL structure, such as a path.
{current_halo_domain} or {origin}The current page’s origin, including its scheme and host, for example https://your-team.haloitsm.com.
{currentPath} or {current_path}The current path, query, and hash, URL-encoded. Useful for a return-page parameter.
{currentPathRaw} or {current_path_raw}The current path, query, and hash without encoding.

For example, {origin}/config opens configuration on the current tenant. A destination of {origin}{currentPathRaw} points at the current page. Prefer encoded placeholders inside query parameters so spaces, &, and # remain part of the value.

Configure instance switches

Instance commands change the hostname while preserving the current path, query, and hash. You choose the command names; no instance commands are configured by default.

  1. Find Instances in Settings.Expand Instances, select Add instance, and open the new entry. The first-run setup can add instances for you, too.
  2. Enter the command and host.Use a full hostname, or an instance prefix with a domain suffix. Add a display name and hint to make the destination recognizable.
  3. Choose its appearance.You can set a color, page border, command window color, tab title prefix, and favicon options for that instance.
  4. Save and grant page access.Select Save Settings and accept the browser’s access prompt for the configured host or domain. Open or reload a tab on that instance to use its page tools.

EXAMPLE / SWITCH TO TEST

Command
test
Display name
Test environment
Instance prefix or host
your-team-test
Domain suffix
haloitsm.com
Hint
Switch to the test instance

Replace these example values with your real instance. From https://your-team.haloitsm.com/tickets?id=12345, running /test navigates to https://your-team-test.haloitsm.com/tickets?id=12345.

Alternatively, enter your-team-test.haloitsm.com as the full host and leave the suffix empty. A full host requests access to that host; a domain suffix requests wildcard access to its subdomains. Custom Halo domains work too.

In the instance’s Optical settings, enable Sync color from Halo and save. This option is disabled by default for every instance. Open that instance’s Halo agent app to copy its navigation color into HaloUtils. Changes are checked every five seconds while the tab is visible and when it regains focus.

The saved color is used by the appearance features you have enabled, including on portal pages. If Halo’s color is unavailable, HaloUtils keeps the last saved color. Turn sync off to keep that color and edit it manually. The toggle and saved color are included in command configuration exports. See the color-sync privacy details.

Import, export & share

Everything lives in Settings → Import/Export. Use File to move your configuration between browsers and Server to follow a shared configuration your team hosts.

Move your configuration to another browser

Choose Export… under File, then tick what the file should contain, all ticked by default:

  • Instances
  • Slash commands, meaning your custom commands and the alternatives you added to built-in commands.
  • Other settings, meaning appearance, page behavior, the command window, updates, and experimental features. Sync server credentials and the shared configuration URL are never exported.

On the other browser, choose Import… and select the file. Only the parts the file contains are offered, and anything you untick is left exactly as it is, even with Replace all. Older configuration files still import.

Review before you save

An import is staged, not applied. Every change is highlighted in Settings: amber for changed, green for new, red for removed, and gray for changes you did not take. Changed fields show their previous value, and a strip on the right edge marks where each change sits on the page. A change list under Import/Export has a checkbox for every change, down to a single setting such as an instance’s color. Uncheck a change to keep your value, check it again to apply the imported one, or use Keep all mine and Apply all. Nothing is saved until you select Save Settings; Cancel discards the import.

Follow a shared configuration URL

Host an exported configuration JSON file at a URL your team can access without a login. Enter that URL under Server and select Connect. Connect stays disabled until the URL is valid; hover over it to see what is wrong. The browser asks for access to that server, and HaloUtils previews what the file adds. Connect and save also asks for access to the file’s Halo instances and saves in one step. You can also connect during the first-run setup.

HaloUtils then checks the file when the browser starts and about every hour. Check now runs the same check on demand. A status card shows when the file was last checked and changed, and explains any problem in plain words with the time of the next retry.

How shared entries stay in sync

  • Your changes are kept. HaloUtils remembers the last version the server sent. On each check it takes server changes for fields you did not change and keeps the ones you did, such as an instance’s color or its impersonation warning. If you and the server changed the same field, your value stays and the change is listed under Review, where you can keep yours or use the shared value.
  • Stable ids. Entries in the shared file can carry an optional "id" so customizations survive renaming a command on the server. Without one, a rename is still matched when the instance host or command destination is unchanged.
  • Removals. Entries the server removes are removed locally unless you customized them. Those are listed for review with Remove or Keep as my own.
  • Your deletions. Shared entries you delete stay deleted, and the status card offers Restore.
  • Name collisions. An entry whose name is already used is skipped with a reason and retried on later checks.

Shared entries are marked Shared in the command and instance lists, with the fields you customized and a Reset to shared action.

Shared instances that lack page access get an Allow access button on the status card. After a background check adds instances, HaloUtils reminds you once per newly shared instance with a notification and a small window whose Allow access button grants access directly.

Force an import or stop syncing

Force Import fetches the file and opens the import dialog, even when nothing changed. Merge and update matches is the default, and Replace all needs a second click to confirm. As with a file import, the selected changes are staged until Save Settings. Stop syncing asks whether to keep or remove the shared entries, and removes HaloUtils’ access to the configuration server.

The hosted file must be a configuration export with a valid exportedAt date, as generated by Export…, rather than a raw list of URLs. An export older than the one already applied is ignored, so a stale cache cannot roll changes back. This configuration feature works independently of update-set server sync. See the privacy notice for what is sent to destinations you configure.

The website lists built-in commands. Open /info in Halo for the complete reference for your own configuration, including everything you have added.